Return to Terabithia
by DaniPeace
Summary: What happens when Jess starts seeeing Leslie again. Is he dreaming? Is he going crazy? Will Leslie stay with him so he won't have to suffer the pain he felt everyday? Might be a one-shot or I may continue it. Just please review. Thx and enjoy.


**Hey it's Dani here with a new story I want you guys to read and review. Sorry, if I have any spelling problems and I miss you guys back in Cape Town hey. Please review and enjoy.**

**Return to Terabithia Chapter 1**

A pre-teen boy sat on his bead, his sketchbook laid out in front of him, a pencil in his hand moving swiftly over the off white paper. He didn't know what he was drawing, but he knew it was something from the kingdom he and Leslie had made together. The boy, Jesse, sighed and wiped a stand of his brown hair out of his face. He sighed and looked out his window over at the newly deserted house feeling a pang of guilt and sadness. Turning his attention back to his drawing, he tried to push the feelings away.

After sketching for a few more minutes, Jesse looked over his drawing. It was a squogre, one of the first creatures in Terabithia that he and Leslie had ever seen. He blinked his eyes slowly, wishing he could go back there. He had shown his little sister May Belle the enchanted forest after building a bridge over the creek, but he hadn't been there much himself. Not like he used to with Leslie.

Jesse gently put his sketch book under his pillow and placed his pencils in his box, sliding it under his bed. He pulled the sheet in front of his bed away with his hand and looked over at May Belle, who was fast asleep in her bed. Smiling a little, he released the curtain and lay down, pulling the covers over himself.

Shutting his eyes, he let his mind wander. Like usual, he immediately thought of Terabithia and of Leslie. It had been that way for the past week. Even if he tried to make himself think of something else, it was gone back to those two things.

As he lay there, he could feel himself falling asleep. But just as he was, the sound of a dog barking made him sit up suddenly, alert of everything around him. Turing himself so he could peer out the window, he looked down, scanning the ground for the dog. When he spotted it, he shook his head in shock.

"...Prince Terrior?" he whispered to himself. Prince Terrior - or PT - was the dog that he had given Leslie. He never thought he would see the little black and white dog after Leslie's parents had taken him with them when they moved.

Slowly getting out of bed, Jesse walked silently out the door, making sure not to wake May Belle. He quickly went down the stairs and out the front door, calling the dog over to him so he wouldn't wake anyone else up. The furry dog scampered over to him, his tail whipping around happily.

"What are you doing here, boy?" Jesse asked the dog, petting him. He lifted PT off of the ground and looked him over quickly, ensuring there was nothing wrong with him. Placing him back on the ground, Jesse stood to his feet, looking around with slight confusion at what to do with the dog. He had no clue where Leslie's parents where living now, and had no way to return the dog.

Before he could really think, the dog started to bark again, and ran toward the road Jesse and Leslie had raced each other down so many times before. Caught off guard, Jesse broke into a sprint after the small dog, calling out his name and hoping he would come back.

They kept running, Prince Terrior managing to keep a small lead over Jesse. The farther they got, the more Jesse wished that the dog would stop. He knew right where they were going to end up. And it was the last place Jesse really wanted to go to.

Finally they stopped. The boy looked around, glad that PT had come to a stop, but at the same time wishing he had taken them to a different area. Directly in front of Jesse was the bridge he built leading over into the enchanted forest - into Terabithia.

He slowly walked toward it, calling Prince Terrion over to him. Putting his left foot on the bridge, he glanced over at the broken rope dangling over the creek, looking away quickly, silently cursing the rope. The moonlight playing across the water below and the bridge gave everything a slight eerie look. Step by step, he made his way across the bridge, the dog right by his side.

Jesse hesitated as he held his foot over the ground on the other side. A part of him told him to just go back home, but a larger part urged him to go on. Giving in, he put his foot down. Looking around, he noticed that the forest looked almost haunted in the glory light of the moon. Everything seemed so different from the first time he was ever here. But he knew it was different. Leslie was not here.

A bark from Prince Terrior made him jump, not expecting it. Jesse looked down at the dog and patted him on the top of his head, rubbing his ear. "What is it boy?" he asked when the dog barked again. "Is there something out there?"

The dog wiggled his body and ran forward, into the forest. Jesse ran after him, determined not to lose the last connection he had with his best friend. He forced himself to ignore the tired feeling that was trying to overtake him. Jesse knew that he had to follow Prince Terrior. He was not sure why, but it did not matter to him.

"Come back here," Jesse called out after the dog, picking up his pace so as not to lose him. "Please come back here."

As suddenly as PT had started to run, he stopped at a large tree with dark shadows a few feet up. Jesse knew what was up there, but he looked anyway. He careened his neck upward and saw the tree fort that he and Leslie had found the first day they had come here. He turned to look at the dog and sighed, picking him up. "Let's go back, boy. Maybe we'll come here tomorrow."

"Why not stay here now?" a girl's voice asked ask Jesse turned around.

The boy set down the dog slowly. He knew that voice, but he didn't want to turn around. Against his judgment, he turned, trying to keep his hopes low so they would not be crushed once more. Jesse kept his eyes on the ground until he saw the pair of old boots. He moved his eyes upward until he saw her bright blond hair, shinning in the moonlight.

"...Leslie?" Jesse asked, his voice guarded, not believing his eyes. "But you're... They said you dr... Drowned Leslie," he said, not wanting to say it.

She slowly nodded. "They did. But...," she hesitated, not quite sure of what to say. "I had to pretend I was."

Jesse shook his head. "No. I saw you. This is Terabithia. You're only here because I want you to be here."

The girl laughed softly. "Jesse," she said kindly, taking a step forward. "I had to pretend. It was the only way I could..." She stopped, looking away.

"Could what?" he asked her, part of him wanting to believe it and another part telling him to just walk away - that it wasn't her.

"I can't tell you right now, but... soon," Leslie told him, taking a few more steps forward, closing the gap between them.

He allowed himself to smile slightly. It did not make much since, but what else in his life did? Looking down he picked up Prince Terrior and gently handed him to Leslie. "If your dog hadn't wakened me up, I wouldn't be out here right now."

Leslie smiled and nodded. "I knew PT would do it," she said hugging her dog. Then she looked up at Jesse, suddenly serious. "But you've got to wake up now Jesse."

Jesse shook his head, confused. "But... I am awake Leslie. How could I be here if I wasn't?"

The girl sent her dog down and took a step back. "I'll see you soon Jesse."

"Leslie!" he called out.

Jesse felt like he was spinning almost. As it slowly faded away, the sound of a dog barking came to his ears. Opening his eyes, he turned and peered out the window, jumping slightly as he saw the black and white dog below.

**I hope you like it and I might continue it. And thanks to all those who read my Seddie story called "Sam's Diary" and for reviewing it. Please review this one too.** Thx bye.


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